Pet Rat has Scabs

Question
Hello,
Recently I took my 1.5 year old fancy rat to the vet because she had dime size scabs on her back and neck. We had her tested and it was only a staff infection. She's been on Amoxicillin mouth drops and an antibacterial gel (applied to the wounds) for a couple of weeks. The other rat that she lives with started to get a small scab in a similar area that went away after giving her the same medicine.
My worry now is that while the one with the original problem  might be done with the staff infection, she still has these scabs that she scratches and won't let heal. How do I prevent this from happening? I'm going back to the vet in a few days because they said to check back in 2-3 weeks, so hopefully some information will come from that too. Until then I just wanted to find our if there are some methods to reduce the need for her to not let herself heal.
Thanks.

Answer
Hi Matt

Obviously your rats scratching has caused scabs and they got infected. Staph is a normal bacteria found on the skin of rats. This is one reason they get abscesses easily or infected scabs from scratching. What needs  to be done is figure out WHY they are scratching like they are and getting scabs!

In other words, your rat cant heal because the problem isn't solved. The reason for the itching that leads to scratching hasn't been diagnosed so it will continue until it is. I am curious why the vet didn't want to address this issue? I mean, granted, the scabs are infected with staph bacteria, but WHY does she have the scabs in the first place? Does that make sense?

A few reasons for scratching are from parasites such as mites or lice. Did the vet rule out parasites?
Dry skin is another culprit and finally, diet with high protein that contributes to skin allergies and itching is yet another reason for itching.  All three things cause itching that result in scabs and the scabs are found in the area your rats are found: the neck, shoulder and back area.

What diet are they eating? Rats do not do well with a diet high in protein and should not exceed more than 15 to 18 percent daily.  High protein not only causes skin problems but it can also lead to kidney disease later in life when the rat gets older.

I would suggest using hydrocortisone 1 percent, found at drug stores.

Is your vet an exotic vet or a general vet with a traditional practice? Reason I am asking is that it is just so odd that he is treating the rats without taking care of the cause and really, I am not convinced they have a localized staph infection unless you tell me the skin around the scabs is all red and crusty, oozing with a foul odor etc....

Hope this helps some...and happy holidays to you and your critters!!